


Anthos, Anthous

by etotheipie



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Angst, M/M, Pretty mild, about a disease where you hallucinate/vomit flowers if you experience unrequited love, its not actually unrequited i couldnt do that, so obviously i had to turn it into spirk, there'll be some h/c too you know all that good stuff, well i heard about this trope and thought it sounded kinda neat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-20
Updated: 2016-10-26
Packaged: 2018-08-23 12:22:11
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8327659
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/etotheipie/pseuds/etotheipie
Summary: A long search through Starfleet’s database system finally yielded some results for Leonard Mccoy. “Anthuskteiphilitos is commonly referred to as “The Hanahaki disease” due to its onset following exposure to the Hanahaki star’s solar system. Whilst the true origin of the disease is unknown, symptoms include hallucinating and sometimes coughing flowers as a side effect of unrequited love.”---In which Jim Kirk can't stop coughing up petals.





	1. flori

People were seeing flowers.

A long search through Starfleet’s database system finally yielded some results for Leonard Mccoy. “ _Anthuskteiphilitos_ is commonly referred to as “The Hanahaki disease” due to its onset following exposure to the Hanahaki star’s solar system. Whilst the true origin of the disease is unknown, symptoms include hallucinating and sometimes coughing flowers as a side effect of unrequited love.”

He scanned further, “In rare cases the disease can be fatal, as flowers blooming in the respiratory system may cause partial or complete failure. However, these may be surgically removed, with the side effect that the patient will lose all memory of the recipient of their unrequited love.”

The Enterprise was covered with flowers. Not literally of course, but if you looked through the eyes of its crew the bridge was dripping with roses, blossom petals framed the doors and fields of lilacs lined the corridors. Montgomery Scott had almost had a fit when he thought somehow a magnolia tree had managed to infest the warp core, before the situation had been explained to him. After all, pretty much everyone has some sort of unrequited crush on someone, even if it was Orion indie-pop heartthrob _Jouzzuk_.

Bones ground the palms of his hands into the sockets of his eyes and rubbed them, trying to ignore the dancing spots of light which bloomed into lillies. “I need a fucking drink,” he grumbled.

“Lemme help you with that.” The doors of his quarters slid open and he looked up to see James Tiberius Kirk walk in with a typical shit-eating grin, and punch a request for two glasses of whisky into his replicator. “You’ll have to be careful Bones, your captain’s beginning to suspect all you do in your down time is sit around and moan about alcohol.”

“Not true,” said Bones, grabbing one of the glasses from him, “I also sit around and drink alcohol.”

Jim grinned again and sat down. “Cheers, buddy.”

“Cheers.” Bones echoed.

“How’s the floral situation then? That girl who started throwing up hydrangeas?”

Bones took a swig and looked at Jim gloomily, “Not much better. She’s all caught up on some sweetheart back on earth, doesn’t want to forget him either. No matter he’s married. If it gets any worse we might just have to go ahead with surgery.”

“Without her consent? Is that legal?” Jim asked worriedly.

“Well I’m hardly about to let the kid die.”

“Yeah, yeah. I guess.” Jim looked troubled. “It’s such a stupid disease. Everyone’s got some sort of unrequited crush. I’m getting complaints left right and centre about headaches from the colours.”

“We just gotta hope it wears off soon..” Bones looked up at his friend with a slight smirk, “how’re you holding up anyway?”

“Me?” Jim asked, with adorable feigned innocence.

“Yes you. Mr wears-his-heart-on-his-sleeve, conqueror-of-1000-beds Kirk. What about that cute lil’ puppy crush on your vulcan? Must be hard, no?”

“I haven’t seen a single flower.” Jim told him gravely.

Despite his best efforts to retain his grumpiness, this made Bones laugh. “Oh, really? So last week’s “Aphrodite of Vulcan” rant was me daydreaming?”

“Yep. 100%.”

“Figures. Still, I’m impressed that you’re not throwing up bouquets of red roses everywhere; I thought you were head over heels. Thank god you’re not though; I have enough on my plate as is.”

Jim smiled at him genially, “I’m getting another whiskey.”

“You’ll use up all my prescribed units!” Bones protested as Jim went over to his replicator, but despite his teetering sobriety he sensed some slight unease from his friend when talking about the flowers. Still, Jim got a crush on any pretty alien that so much as looked at him, it only made sense that the disease would be hitting him harder than most, but it would wear off. Bones watched the yellow lillies which framed the glasses in his friend’s hands and thought about Carol. He had bigger problems to worry about than Sgt. Kirk’s Lonely Hearts Club.

\---

 _“I thought you were head over heels.”_ Bones’ words echoed around in Jim’s head as he stared up at the pulsating whites roses which had crept up his walls and had now spread all over his ceiling, and then back down at his hand, where three slightly battered looking rose petals lay. His allergy medicines seemed to suppress the coughing for some reason, at least enough to get him through a few hours on the bridge, but he knew he couldn’t overuse his supplies.

He got out of his bed and walked slowly over the carpet of daisies to the garbage disposal, where he dropped the three blossom petals that he’d just coughed up. 

He really should tell Bones about this. But to be in love with your first officer- your emotionally-stunted, has-a-girlfriend first officer no less- Jim watched the petals flutter down into the darkness. Besides, even if he were to tell Bones his best friend (the only person whom Jim had told about his vulvan crush in the first place, before this whole floral disaster) about this problem of his, Bones his doctor would surely insist on his being treated or some other drastic measure. What he’d said about operating on that girl without her consent had slightly freaked Jim out. And it wasn’t like Jim’s crush on Spock was big enough to be _fatal_. 

Everyone had an unrequited crush or two, Jim reasoned with himself, and he was usually swamped by them. The Spock thing had lasted longer, sure, but that was only because Spock was such an enigma.

Getting to know Spock had been so much more difficult, no wonder Jim felt like bouncing up and down every time he felt like he had a better understanding of his first officer. No wonder when Spock smiled (not even conventionally, but the way he could with his eyes, even when he smiled with the way he stood) Jim felt like a personal fireworks display was going off in his stomach. And it didn’t help that behind said enigma was someone so clever, so funny, so caring, so damn _loyal_ \--

A wave of nausea passed over Jim and he staggered backwards, gasping for breath.

“Jesus fuck,” he muttered to himself.

 _I just have to stop thinking about Spock_ , he resolved, _after all: He. Is. My. Colleague_. 

He put his foot on one of the daisies covering his carpet and tried to squash it, but it continued to look up smugly at him. He collapsed back onto his bed in defeat.

 _“I thought you were head over heels.”_ Jim pushed Bones’ comment firmly out of his mind and sent a silent prayer that he would dream of anything but blue orchids that night.


	2. floris

The affliction surprised Spock. Not that it was illogical for one to feel love or desire; of course there were certain evolutionary advantages to that. For it to spark hallucinations and flowers growing in the chest, however, was bizarre. When Doctor McCoy had reported this, Spock had found himself fascinated.

 

Lacking the time for himself, he had decided to ask lieutenant Sulu to research the disease, the man’s borderline obsession with botany finally proving itself useful. Unfortunately Sulu’s research had yielded few results.

 

What had surprised Spock more than the disease itself, however, was his own symptoms. 

 

“Don’t panic if you start seeing flowers and only come to the medbay if you experience more serious symptoms.” Nurse Chapel had informed the crew over the whole ship intercom. “It is natural to experience some sort of unrequited feelings, so everyone else will be seeing these flowers too”

 

“Excepting certain hobgoblins”

 

“Doctor McCoy!” For all her firmness Nurse Chapel was half laughing.

 

“I’m exhausted, let me live.”

 

As Nurse Chapel strong armed McCoy into an apology, Jim had turned in his chair to Spock, laughing, and bumped him on the shoulder. Spock raised his eyebrow, which proved to be the source of more mirth for the Captain.

 

None of this Spock would have minded, in fact, he often found it oddly gratifying to be the source of his Captain’s amusement. What disturbed him was when he looked back down at his comm it was framed with sunflowers 

 

It transpired that he was not immune to this disease. This disturbed Spock, who was certain Nyota loved him back, and personally thought that loving someone who did not actually return the feelings was illogical.

 

Later Nyota had asked him what was bothering him. When he replied that he did not wish to discuss it presently, she had looked worried, but gave him a small smile. “Ok, just remember I’m here for you. I love you.”

 

Spock had nodded blankly, unable to keep his eyes off the blooming cherry blossom tree behind her left shoulder.

 

\---

 

Two weeks after exiting the Hanahaki solar system, Jim was approached by Bones in the turbolift.

 

He only half listened as Bones told him with as much glee as Bones ever showed that most people’s symptoms- including his own- were disappearing.

 

“That’s great, Bones.” Jim absently replied. “Could I- could I get a bit more of my allergy stuff?”

 

“Antihistamine-B38?” Bone’s sudden sharp tone caught his attention. “What’ve you been up to?”

 

“Chekov fed me something a bit questionable so I took a bit- just thought it’d be good to replace it.”

 

“Of all the stupid-” Bones cut himself off mid-grumble. “You know you of all people shouldn’t be eating questionable things. Surely you’ve still got loads though?”

 

Jim felt his stomach drop. “Yeah. I guess I do.”

 

“Right.” Bones narrowed his eyes at him.

 

“In any case, I have a meeting with Starfleet to prepare for.” Jim nodded to Bones who was still frowning at him and stepped out of the turbolift. As soon as he reached his quarters he began to cough and hack, until there was almost a small pile of petals on the floor.

 

He looked down at them through eyes still slightly teary from the coughing. Bones had definitely said people's symptoms were improving, it stood to reason that his soon would as well. He checked his draw of medicine one last time, but it was as empty as he’d left it.

 

He resolved that if things weren’t better by the end of the day, he would tell Bones.

 

\---

 

“-so this “Hanahaki” star is unique in this characteristic?”

 

“It certainly seems so, Admiral.” Spock replied.

 

Jim nodded, pretty sure that if he opened his mouth he was going to throw up.

 

Sulu had asked if he was alright as he entered the space station. Jim was now beginning to wish he had been honest with his lieutenant and allowed Spock to deal with Starfleet. It was how the meeting had pretty much been going anyway.

 

“... inhabitants don’t seem to be affected no, though almost every species aboard the enterprise has been.”

 

“Well.” The admiral looked up from her comm, “we don’t seem to know any more than we already did, regrettably. Captain Kirk, anything to add?”

 

Jim was going to be sick. He was going to start barfing flowers in front of one of the most senior members of Starfleet.

 

He turned to give a pleading look to Spock, and was struck by how perceptible the worry on his face was. And just like that, Jim couldn’t breathe.

 

“Captain, are you- Jim!”

 

Jim opened his mouth, only half aware of the orchids coming out as he coughed and spluttered. The Admiral’s gasp and Spock’s shout for a medic were lost on him, all he noticed as he blacked out was how violently the strong blue are wrapping itself around his shoulders was shaking.

 

\---

 

Spock was pacing back and forth in his quarters.

 

Doctor McCoy had said that when Jim woke up, he would talk to him. And then he would operate on him, with or without his consent. Spock had silently agreed wholeheartedly with this, but remained slightly uneasy.

 

Whomever Jim would forget as a result of the operation remained a mystery to Spock, though thinking about that person made him feel odd, almost jealous. They would need to be forgotten, however. As much as the idea of Jim’s memories being tampered with made Spock uneasy, the idea of him losing his life-- the operation would have to take place.

 

Starfleet could not be without their most proficient, innovative, and intelligent commander. Nor would the Enterprise and her crew survive. The universe itself would suffer so much with the loss of James T. Kirk-- Spock found himself suddenly so overcome with emotion that he stopped pacing. He stared down at the fading, but still visible sunflower in his hand then clenched his fist. When he reopened it, the flower look untouched.


End file.
